Boys Who Lived
by trisgent
Summary: Harry finally defeated Voldemort, but some Death Eaters escape to London in Victorian Era. These Death Eaters start tormenting the Muggles again, and Vincent Phantomhive starts investigating. Both Vincent and Rachel are murdered, and Ciel manages to summon a demon. Harry manages to travel to Victorian Era. How would two protagonists work together to reach the common goal?
1. Chapter 1

The Killing Curse had backfired on Voldemort, finally eradicating the source of a decade of horror for both Muggles and Wizards. I finally did it, but the flash of green light was too overwhelming. It reminded me of the night Voldemort attacked 16 years ago, the night when I was orphaned and left to live with Dursleys. The dizziness and nausea took over, and the last thing I saw was a group of Death Eaters jumping into something that looked like a portal.

I finally woke up with a splitting headache. I tried opening my eyes, but they were glued shut. When I finally opened my eyes, my vision was blurry and could only make out vague shapes.

"Where am I?" I wondered.

Someone helped me sit up and handed me a cup of tea.

"You're in the school infirmary," answered Madame Pomfrey,

"How long was I out?"

"About a week. You should rest more, dear. You're not going anywhere until you get better." Madame Pomfrey fussed over him for few more minutes.

"I'm completely fine," I lied. "I can stand up by myself."

I glanced all around me even though my body protested, hoping to see a familiar figure. When I caught glimpses of Hermione, I maneuvered my battered body through the crowd with some difficulty, drowning out Madame Pomfrey's remarks about teenage boys.

"Hermione!" I yelled. She turned around and beckoned that we should talk in private, so I followed her into an empty classroom.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed as she squeezed me tightly. "You fought Voldemort, and you only got scratches and bruises! Blimey, I thought you would have been done for!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok. You're going to suffocate me to death. After all I've been through, I don't want to die of something like this. So, what happened after I collapsed? How's Ron and his family? I thought I saw something like a portal and Death Eaters going through it."

"Oh, Harry…" Hermione started filling me in. "Weasleys are fine, but… According to the remaining Death Eaters, they managed to create a spell to travel to other time periods and do whatever they want, but it won't affect us. Sort of like a parallel universe. I'm not even sure how that's possible. The spell is so complicated that even they can't manage it very well. But luckily for us, we figured out that only ten Death Eaters went to London in Victorian Era while you were out."

"Y-You mean they can cause havoc in another dimension? How? No… That can't be… We can't let them do that! Is there something we can do? It's all my fault. I let them escape even though they were right in front of me." I said half to myself as I paced the room.

"Harry… It's not your fault. No one blames you for anything. Rest of us couldn't even face Voldemort. We could work on the spell, but it'll take us years before we can make use of it. Honestly, I dunno if we can travel to the specific time Death Eaters fled to."

I stopped pacing and said, "Wait. I've got an idea. Remember when we turned time back and helped Sirius and Buckbeak escape? What if we use the time turner with the spell? Like… Like enhance the time turner to travel to a parallel universe and won't affect us."

"Good idea! There are only a handful of brilliant wizards who can research the spell and all, but none of them are fit for capturing dark wizards. We could send a group of Aurors, but even they can't stand up to that many Death Eaters. We can send you. But we're still students, if not dropouts. We need to finish school and… Become an Auror…" Hermione started lecturing what they needed to do in preparation.


	2. Chapter 2

**October 17, 1885**

_"BREAKING NEWS: 30th Body Discovered_

_The victim was discovered by a mailman this past Monday. The man, like other previous victims, died of heart attack. What is strange, however, is that the most of the victims were in great health. Those who did have some kind of disability did not suffer any life threatening medical conditions. Examiners, however, have not found any traces of drugs that might cause heart attack._

_What is stranger is that nearly half of them have been reported missing for few days and have been found in abandoned buildings. According to those who are close to the victims, they did not have reason to isolate themselves that long. The other half of the victims were hunters and farmers that lived in the forests or outskirts of villages. Strangely, many of the families had multiple children, yet their bodies were nowhere to be found. Scotland Yard speculates children have been kidnapped for unknown reason and probably won't be found alive. _

_Villagers who lived nearby the victims claimed that there was a strange group of folks, asking if there was anyone who preferred to live in a remote area. Witnesses asserted that these strange people wore black cloaks and slit-eyed masks; some were reported to have tattoos of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. Villagers also noted that these people talked in a weird dialect, using words they have not heard of. The cult has been seen by residents not only once, but in several occasions few days before the bodies were found.…"_

"Well, that's interesting," said Vincent as he read the Queen's letter and newspaper article. "I'll start investigating as soon as possible."

"Please do. Her Majesty is worried sick," replied Grey, "that there's a possible serial killer on the loose. She suspects that it's the work of a new drug."

"Tell Her Majesty that I will not fail her as the faithful Watchdog of the Underworld and get rid of all her worries at all cost."

Next morning, Vincent was in no rush to get dressed to meet with his informants. After all, he was confident that this case was nothing out of ordinary, that it was just the work of undetectable drug developed by a cult. Just as he finished dressing, Ciel burst into the room with eagerness.

"Dad!" he yelled, flailing his arms around. "I heard you're going out. Take me with you! I haven't been outside in a while!"

"Sorry, Ciel, but I have some business to take care of. I heard your asthma acted up again, and you've been sick lately. I promise, I'll take you to the fair for your birthday. You, me, and your mother."

Tanaka came into the room and said, "Master, the carriage is ready."

"Alright. I'll buy you some lemon-honey cough drops for you and your mother on the way home too. I'll play with you as soon as I get back, ok?"

Ciel pouted and complained a little, but he seemed to be satisfied. Ciel waved from the door as Vincent got on the carriage.

About half an hour later, he finally reached Undertaker's funeral parlor. Since Undertaker took care of most of the underworld deaths, he was by far the most invaluable informant. When Vincent entered the eerie place, Undertaker was nowhere to be found as usual. Just as he started looking through Undertaker's collection of coffins, he heard a familiar laugh.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. Doing another one of those Queen's dirty work? Or are you interested in sleeping in one of my custom-made coffins? There's one that might fit you. I can give you a discount if you'd like." Undertaker asked as he slowly rose from his coffin, his makeshift bed. He made his way to his counter while taking his time. Then he started giggling to himself and made wild gestures with his hands as if something amused him.

Vincent pointedly ignored the comments and kept examining the coffins. He took his time and moved on to variety of other decorations that were displayed in the shop. When he was done, he walked toward the counter and said, "I'll pass, but thank you for the offer anyway. Maybe next time. I need some leads to my case like you guessed."

"Oh? What might that be?"

"There were incidents where unusual amounts of people died of heart attacks, and these bizarre people with cloaks and tattoos –"

"Yes, yes. THAT case. The one that's even terrifying those of the Underworld. I hope I get a good laugh for this."

"As usual," replied Vincent. "Go on."

"You might have already guessed that this group and deaths are related, and there might be some mysterious drug involved, correct? You're right about the relation between the cult and reported deaths, but it's not a work of some drug. I heard there has been a number of gangs that challenged this group, and all except for one ended up dead. Of course, the media won't report something like this since it'll cause even more panic. Normally, drugs leave traces such as internal bleeding. These folks had no signs of drugs whatsoever other than what they habitually take. This lone survivor… I'm not sure why he was left to live, but he doesn't have that much time left anyway. He's not sane." Undertaker paused as he emphasized the words by sweeping his hands.

Vincent leaned in as he waited for more.

"Hehehe. I asked him few questions, but it was too much for him. He kept muttering something about green light, weird sticks, and torture. All else was gibberish. Then he went nuts and thought I was one of those guys. I really wonder what they did to him."

Vincent put his hand on his chin and started pacing, lost in thought. Undertaker studied Vincent as he chuckled to himself. Vincent finally stopped pacing and turned to face Undertaker. "Any leads that might help us track them down?"

"There's a rumor that there were writings on the walls of the buildings where victims were found. There are few variations, but majority of them include '_We, the Death Eaters, shall conquer Britain once and for all._' Befitting name for such a group, even if the rumors are just lies."

"Death Eaters, huh?"

Undertaker strode toward Vincent and tapped his shoulder with his long fingers and whispered, "You know what's interesting, Earl? They seem to be after influential figures as well, not just commoners. You can't be too careful." Giggling to himself, Undertaker glided back to his counter.

Vincent squinted his eyes at Undertaker as he studied the informant. After a minute, he sat down on a nearby coffin to process the information, tapping his knees. "Thanks for the warning. Is that all?" he probed.

"Yes. Now, for the payment…"


	3. Chapter 3

A month passed, but there were no significant leads involving the Death Eaters. The body count had doubled in that short time period. What was worse, Ciel's health deteriorated even more. He couldn't get up from his bed without triggering his asthma.

When Vincent was relaxing on his couch, Diedrich burst into the room with a grim expression and asked "I cancelled my plans and came to England just like you asked. So what was the urgent business you wanted to take care of?"

"Oh, I just wanted to have a long, nice chat since we haven't seen each other in a while. How long has it been? A week?" Vincent replied with an innocent smile.

"WHAT? You wanted me back just to have a chat? I had an important meeting with the War Council! I'm going back if that's what you wanted."

"Haha. Don't be mad. I was only joking. It's so much fun to mess with you." Vincent teased as his expression turned serious, without a trace of humor in his face like before. "You heard of what's going on in England, correct?"

"Of course I have. All those mysterious deaths and a group of people wearing strange clothes, calling themselves 'Death Eaters.' Any luck so far?"

"No. That's why I called you back. I can't track them down because they don't leave any traces. None whatsoever unless you believe in the rumor of a message that disappears. It doesn't help the fact that Rachel and Ciel are both sick right now."

"Death Eaters are getting bolder every day and night. Since they're bold enough to target nobles, you might as well draw them out by living in the countryside for a while. Besides, Ciel and Rachel's health will get better. It's killing two birds with one stone."

Vincent considered this as he thought of alternatives. "Alright, but I don't have any mansions in the countryside. Buying one would take a while."

"You could use mine for the time being."

"Then it's settled."

The following week, Phantomhives moved into Diedrich's mansion. In no time, Rachel and Ciel's health got better. He ceased to have asthma attacks and only had occasional cough, so he wasn't bedridden all the time. Rachel sometimes took Ciel out for a walk, and Vincent joined in when he had a break from looking for traces of Death Eaters' hideout.

If there was one thing that bothered the Queen's Guard Dog, Ciel claimed he's been having vivid nightmares about strange people. He said a pair of clocked figures entered the mansion every single night and spoke strangely, examining the guards, the floors, his parents, and lastly, Ciel himself. He also claimed that they always entered and left through the fireplace. Vincent just dismissed this as a child's normal nightmares. There was always a chance that Ciel overheard Vincent discussing Death Eaters with Rachel.

Luckily, he was able to pinpoint few sites with Undertaker's help. Vincent spent majority of his time next few weeks investigating the potential hideouts. Sure enough, couple of these sites showed signs of sheltering large number of inhabitants. He narrowed down the list bit by bit as he progressed. At one place, he was rummaging through the rubbish when he felt a pair of eyes studying him. Vincent took a mental note of this and decided to retreat for the time being. He did not realize then was that he had been traced by a Death Eater, marked as the next victim.


	4. Chapter 4

**December 14, 1885**

As he promised, Vincent took Ciel to the fair. The weather was nice and warm, fairground wasn't crowded, and Ciel and Rachel were both happy. All of them were having fun. Lastly, Vincent was relieved from stress and his duties even for few hours. Nothing could go wrong on that day, but something tugged at Vincent's mind. It was enough to make him fret, but he didn't try to make it noticeable.

Around three in the afternoon, there was nothing to do at the fairground, so Vincent and Rachel decided it was head back. As they were leaving, Ciel pointed and claimed he saw a glimpse of a hooded figure, dressed just like a person in his dream. But when Vincent turned toward the direction, he didn't see anyone who dressed oddly. He squinted his eyes for few seconds, then the family hurried home.

Later that day, Ciel was playing alone with Sebastian, his dog, in the garden. They ran wildly in zigzags and explored the area. Sebastian suddenly stopped running, faced towards the mansion, and started growling with his fur sticking out. Sebastian soon started running toward the mansion. Startled, Ciel stared at the dog for ten seconds then faced the mansion. He spotted a glimpse of a cloaked figure in his parents' bedroom and continued to stare until he saw a flash of light and black, smothering smoke coming out of the window. Ciel sprinted toward the mansion with all his might. The mansion was engulfed in crimson flames. Ciel somehow managed to find his way to where he saw the person.

The bedroom was appalling enough for Ciel to throw up. Sebastian's entrails had been scattered all over the floor, burning along with the furniture. His empty carcass had been tossed carelessly on one side. Tanaka was knocked out cold on one side. Rachel and Vincent Phantomhives were screaming in agony, even though fire wasn't close enough, and no other physical harm was present. Their earsplitting screams seemed to amuse the group of Death Eaters. Ciel soon started screaming as well.

One by one, Death Eaters turned toward Ciel and started talking in raspy voices.

"Is this him?"

"He doesn't look like much."

"Should we kill him? I'm getting fed up with torturing childr–"

"He's still a son of the Queen Victoria's Watchdog."

"Doesn't mean he's worth our time. Look at this sickly, scrawny brat."

"We can make use of him by breaking him then throwing him out on the streets, showing Muggles even the Aristocrat of Evil is powerless before us."

"Fine. _Crucio_!"

Ciel passed out as pain seared throughout his body, blocking all other senses other than pain.


	5. Chapter 5

Death Eaters somehow managed to get an old mansion in a secluded area, where the children's wails wouldn't be heard. Not only that, Death Eaters' hideout was in atrocious conditions. The place, especially the torture room, was unsanitary. Everything was shabby and would crumble at touch. Corpses were carelessly cast wherever there was space. Small rodents gnawed at random pieces of flesh. Even those who were alive were broken and lifeless.

The condition was more dreadful for Ciel. While other captives were those of lower or middle class, Ciel was used to the luxury as an aristocrat. Even without poor conditions, he had been repeatedly tortured and humiliated for amusement. He was tortured daily with "the Cruciatus Curse," as called by the group. He didn't know what the group was called and didn't care to learn. The nightmare continued for so long that Ciel lost count, lost hope that someone will rescue him.

Days have passed without any torture. There actually weren't any signs of the group at all. They ceased to visit the room entirely; no tortures, no food, nothing at all. Ciel was suspicious, of course, but he didn't complain. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and two distinct groups came in. One was obviously Death Eaters. The other was an assortment of people who hated the Phantomhives.

"Where's the Phantomhive boy? I really hope he's in a good enough condition," said a man wearing a strange mask.

"Oh, don't worry. Don't fret over how fragile condition he's in. He should be good enough," answered a Death Eater, "for your… amusement. We'll be back in a while to collect the body."

Death Eaters left the place as abruptly as they appeared. The group started setting up the place for some kind of ritual. One had drawn a circle around a table that looked like the one used in demonic rituals. Then, two men dragged Ciel out and chained him on the counter. Ciel was in no shape to resist nor care at this point. He thought death threat was just a bluff, and he was used to pain by now. But this was different. The masked man walked over with a knife, held it up, and actually stabbed Ciel on his abdomen and near his heart.

"AHHHHH!" Ciel started screaming. He desperately clung to his feeble life as the man continued to stab him slowly. He thought over and over how he wanted revenge and hated himself for being so powerless when he heard a scream that wasn't his own. Ciel looked up to see the man was fatally wounded near his heart. He stared in a confused daze when he heard a voice.

"Well, aren't you… A very small master. You have summoned me. This fact will not change for eternity. What has been sacrificed will never be returned. Now… _Choose._"

_"This is an order! Kill them!_" Ciel somehow found his voice to shout as his right eye lit up.


	6. Chapter 6

**April 25, 2002**

The preparations for the time travel had been finalized, but I decided to take my time getting ready. In the end, it was decided that only I would be the only one who would time travel because having more than fifteen companions involved complications. Since it was impossible for me to capture and transport all ten Death Eaters alone, the Department of Defense created a tool called pyxis. It was designed so that objects and people can be stored at the will of the wielder. However, pyxis shortened the user's lifespan by month per item or person stored so Department of Magical Equipment Control set strict guidelines.

Various people, including Ginny and other Weasleys, came by to say their final goodbyes. I checked to see I had gathered everything. Wand, clothes, pocket watch, and some spare change. I doubted I needed much money though. I was lost in thought when Hermione finally walked over with an enhanced time turner and a pyxis.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Little queasy. Other than that, I'm fine." I replied with a sheepish smile.

"You know you'll be fine. You always manage to find yourself in trouble yet wiggle out of it with minor injuries."

"Haha. You know trouble finds me, not vice versa."

Hermione managed to crack a smile. She held up the time turner and started explaining. "Remember, turn counterclockwise to travel to the past and clockwise to travel to the future, a year per turn. Three taps on the time turner with your wand to return to the present. I inscribed the instructions and tucked it into your spare robe just in case."

She paused for a moment, so I took this chance to fish out three small boxes and a letter from his pocket.

"Umm… I want you to do me a favor. One's for you, and other is for Ron. The letter and the last box and the letter are for Ginny. I-I didn't have the guts to give it to her when she came by. I didn't have a chance to give it to Ron without her noticing."

"Look. If it's an engagement ring, you know you should give it to her yourself." Hermione lectured as she made a face at me.

I gave her a sheepish smile and replied, "Then can you at least tell her I have something special to give her after I get back? But I don't know if I'll-"

Hermione stopped me midsentence with a tight hug. "Don't be an idiot and say such things. You'll definitely survive and come back. You know you will. Who else can pull this off?"

When she let go, she was full of tears. I hugged her back and whispered, "I promise, I'll come back alive."

After I secured the pyxis in my pocket, I took the time turner in one hand and my luggage in the other. I waved my hand and turned the time turner.


	7. Chapter 7

**London 1886**

The weather was dreadful. Air was hot and humid, making the clothes stick to the skin. Wind started picking up. Clouds were heavy and dark. Just when Finny, Mey-Rin, and Baldroy finished shopping, weather turned for the worse and started pouring.

"Hurry! The bags will get wet if we don't!" Baldroy screamed at the other two.

"W-Wait! I can't… run anymore. Let's… Let's take a break." Mey-Rin yelled back.

Finny and Baldroy stopped near the back alley and waited for Mey-Rin to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?" Finny asked.

"Hah… Hah… I-I'm fine," Mey-Rin replied as she continued to wheeze.

"Don't overwork yourself."

"Geez, now we definitely won't be back without getting drenched," Baldroy complained. "Can we go now? We'll be late for dinner, and Sebastian's going to yell at us."

"Ok, ok. Let's go, Mey-Rin."

Mey-Rin took a deep breath and said, "Ok. I'm fine n- AHHHHHH!" She screamed as something fell on top of her.

"Mey-Rin!" Finny yelled. "Are you ok?"

"S-somehow," Mey-Rin replied as she struggled to get up. It took her a while to get herself together and actually get up.

"Anyway, what is this?" asked Baldroy as he leaned in. "Shit! It's a person!"

"Whoa! What do we do with him? We can't just leave him here," replied Finny.

"But he's dressed extremely weird… Is it alright?" asked Mey-Rin.

"We might get scolded by Young Master and Sebastian," Finny responded.

"We're late and the groceries is all wet, so we might as bring him back with us," said Baldroy as he picked the stranger up. "Finny, can you carry his bag and groceries at the same time?"

"Yup!"

"Then let's go!"


	8. Chapter 8

I started having a nightmare. In the dream, I was engulfed in darkness; I could only see a foot ahead of me. The air was both icy and hot. I had blisters all over my body, yet I felt like every part of my body was about to freeze and break odd. I knew something was chasing after me, something that was worse than an army of dementors. I knew that thing was the cause of this. How I knew, I'm not sure. Maybe because I knew it was a dream?

I kept running, running, running. I couldn't escape from it no matter how hard I tried. I wasn't afraid of darkness, but this was different. The thing was making me experience worst of what I've been through the years. Years of abuse from Dursleys… Not having someone to talk to; not a single friend… Sirius's death, with a smile frozen on his face but with wide, shocked eyes…

I finally got to the point of where I couldn't run anymore. Suddenly, I tripped and fell on Lupin's body. The body changed to Sirius, then Fred and George. Ginny. Ron. Hermione. All the people I care about. I covered my face and started screaming with despair and agony.

The scenery abruptly changed. I took deep breaths to calm myself down and slowly looked around me. I was in someone's bedroom. I wasn't sure where I was, but I had a feeling that I should. I noticed that a baby was sound asleep in a crib. My body moved on its own and walked toward the baby. Just when I reached the crib, the door burst open and a woman came in.

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?" she yelled as she directed her wand towards me. Again, I felt like I should know her but didn't. "JAMES! SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE HOUSE!"

I slowly raised my wand and whispered, "Aveda Kedavra." There was a bright, blinding green light, and the woman dropped dead. A man with messy, jet black hair ran in the second the woman had dropped dead. His face was full of shock and ran to her side. Before he could do anything, I repeated the action, and he dropped dead beside the woman.

The baby woke up and started crying on top of his voice. I turned to look at the baby, ready to use the Killing Curse again. I hesitated and examined the baby. Something tugged at my stomach. The baby was overwhelmingly familiar. After few minutes, I finally realized that the baby was me, and I had killed my parents with my own hands. I blacked out before I could beat myself up again.


	9. Chapter 9

Just like after I defeated Voldemort, my eyes were weighed down and I had a splitting headache. This time, the headache was worse and I smelled something I didn't recognize. I started hearing voices. Three, maybe four. I really couldn't make out what they were saying; only snippets of words here and there.

"– days since he's –"

"We can't do anything –"

"– thought Young Master would be mad, but –"

I slowly opened my eyes. At first, I only saw flickers of shadows on the ceiling. I looked around, trying to make things out. Something bothered me, but I couldn't point it out. As I shifted on the bed, someone gasped in shock.

"Look! He's awake!" said the female.

I sat up and asked, "Where are my glasses?"

"You sure do wear strange glasses," said one of the males as he handed me my glasses.

I put them on and looked around. As I registered my surroundings, I figured out what was bothering me. The room, bed, everything looked… Old. Things he'd only seen in historical books. I turned to look at the people who were near my bed. The woman was a maid with glasses and red hair in pigtails. One male was a young boy with large, turquoise eyes and pale skin. The other was older, wore chef's outfit and had a pair of goggles around his neck, and had a cigarette in his hand.

"So, where am I?" I asked with a suspicious tone.

"This is the Phantomhive manor. We found you- Actually, you fell on top of poor Mey-Rin, so we decided to bring you here," said the younger boy as he pointed the girl. "My name's Finny, by the way. And the one who's smoking is Baldroy."

I tried to get off the bed, but a wave of nausea hit me before I could fully get up. "Ugh… Where's my stuff?"

"Sebastian confiscated them. He's examining them as we're talking. I'll notify Young Master and Sebastian that you're awake," said Baldroy. He started waking towards the door and suddenly stopped by the door. He turned and said, "By the way, you should eat something before you meet both of them. You've been out for a week, and they have bunch of questions."


	10. Chapter 10

**Note: I'm sorry that I took so long and that the chapter is really short. I'm really stressed about AP exams, finals, and graduation.**

I slipped out of the room when the servants started conversing excitedly. I wandered around the halls and found that the manor was full of luxurious decorations that I'd only seen in the books, idly thinking that Mr. Weasley would love the house. Before long, I got lost. I tried to get back to get back to the room when I heard a voice behind me.

"Why, isn't this our precious guest?" I turned around, but I didn't see anyone. "I'm down here," said the irritated voice. I looked down to find a boy who looked around ten and clearly had an atmosphere that of a snobby brat like Malfoy.

"Hi, little boy. Where are your parents? And any clue where my luggage is?" I asked as I nicely could. His face turned dark, and I could tell I hit the nerve.

"I'm the current Earl of Phantomhive household, Ciel Phantomhive. Now, if you would please follow me to my study," said the little boy, cracking a cold smile. "We have very limited amount of time and lots to talk about."


	11. Chapter 11

"So, you're telling me that you can do magic with this stick?" asked the bratty Earl as he played with my wand. "Are you looking down on me just because I'm a child? I may be a child, but I'm not an idiot."

I gritted my teeth and replied, "What kind of story did you exactly expect? You've been dealing with Death Eaters for a while. Did you want me to say that this is all just a nightmare?"

There was a knock on the door, and a butler came in with a cart. He was dressed in standard butler uniform, which consisted of black trousers, a six-button double-breasted tailcoat, and a gray vest. He had sharp red eyes that made me nervous when he turned to face me.

He started introducing himself as he set down the cups and poured tea. "Hello, my name is Sebastian Michaelis, the butler of the Phantomhive family. I hope you found everything to your liking?"

"Umm… Yes. Everything's great." The more I stared at him, the more I got nervous and fidgeted with my cup. I turned my attention back to the Earl and said, "So can I have my belongings back now? I don't have time to deal with children, earl or not."

"I wouldn't if I were you. You don't know a thing and don't fit in. Someone will take you to the police and lock you in. You look exactly like one of them, you know," he said with a smile as he let that sink in. "If you escape, you'll be a fugitive, not accomplishing anything. Even if you weren't, you don't have any connections, money, and other means of surviving in this world. Wouldn't it be more beneficial if we joined forces? If you're telling the truth, that is."

I weighed my options. I could run, but I would get lost again. I could snatch the wand from Ciel's hands, but there's something sinister, something inhumane about the butler that if I tried, I would be very sorry. Sebastian smiled at me as if he knew I was thinking, and it sent chills down my spine. "All right, but what's in it for me?" I asked as if I had a choice to begin with.

"Let's see… Free food, lodging, clothes, everything you need to survive in this world, in exchange of this 'magic' and your cooperation. I don't think you're one of those lunatics who scam people for money."

"Geez, thanks. Fine, I'll stay," I replied as I held out my hand.


End file.
